Definition
Siege Preservation (Chapter 3: Planning a Siege) is the philosophy of strategic conquest that prioritizes the preservation of resources and the achievement of “Complete Victory”—winning without fighting—over the destructive use of force.
Why It Matters
Siege preservation is the highest expression of strategic economy; it asserts that capturing a nation or market intact is always superior to destroying it, prioritizing “Complete Victory”—winning through strategy and alliances—over the ruinous costs of direct confrontation.
Core Concepts
- The Hierarchy of Strategic Action:
- Attack the Strategy: Thwart the enemy’s plans before they manifest (Best).
- Attack the Alliances: Isolate the enemy by breaking their external support systems.
- Attack the Army: Engaging the formed forces in the field (Standard).
- Attack the City: Besieging fortified positions (Worst case, last resort).
- The Ideal of “Complete Victory”: True skill is rendering others’ armies helpless without fighting. Capturing a nation or army intact is superior to destroying it. Total destruction is a failure of strategic economy.
- Force Ratios for Engagement:
- 10 to 1: Surround the enemy.
- 5 to 1: Attack.
- 2 to 1: Divide the enemy to weaken their coordination.
- Equal/Fewer: If equal, fight if able; if fewer, evade; if inferior, retreat.
- The Five Ways to Ascertain Victory:
- Strategic Discernment: Knowing when to fight and when not to fight.
- Resource Scaling: Knowing how to use both large and small forces effectively.
- Internal Harmony: Unity of purpose across all ranks (“Unity of Desire”).
- Preparedness: Facing the unprepared with total preparation.
- Military Autonomy: Able generals who are not micromanaged by the civilian government.
- The Axiom of Knowledge: “If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.”